Invisible Man
Invisible Man
by Ralph Ellison

Invisible Man Symbolism, Imagery & Allegory

Sometimes, there’s more to Lit than meets the eye.

Liberty Paints

The narrator's first job is in a highly patriotic paint company most famous for its Optic White paint color. In order to create this pure white, the narrator is instructed to add ten black drops of...

Vision and Sight

When there's a lot of talk about eyeballs in a book called Invisible Man, you know something's up with sight. Reverend Barbee gives a crowd-pleasing speech praising the Founder of the college only...

Sambo Doll

When the narrator further examines the paper doll that Clifton was selling, he realizes that Clifton controlled the doll with a thin black string that was invisible to the audience. Clifton puppete...

The Battle Royal Briefcase

We think it's symbolic that the narrator receives the briefcase as a naïve kid, and then hangs onto it for the rest of the novel. Emblematic of his past vulnerability, eagerness to please, and...
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